


World on Fire

by Musewithme, TheGreatLes



Category: The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Canons, The Maze Runner Series AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-04 16:15:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3074135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musewithme/pseuds/Musewithme, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatLes/pseuds/TheGreatLes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU story-line starting with the setting of The Maze Runner's The Kill Order. </p><p>It's been months since Ivol, a survivor of the sun flares, has seen her companion, Elijah Holloway. After a disagreement split them up, Ivol has moved on to live near a settlement in the Appalachian mountains. Everything is peaceful and life is moving on until one day Elijah shows up again. Sick. His return and the events that transpire afterward sends Ivol's peaceful living into turmoil again as settlements are attacked and an infection called The Flare begins spreading rampantly. Without meaning to, Ivol and Elijah have stumbled into something bigger than ever expected. A government conspiracy, hellbent on controlling a growing overpopulation problem at all costs. Or is that really what their goal is?</p><p> </p><p>This written work is inspired from an RP between myself and my RP partner, Les. </p><p>The following characters are credited to Les: Elijah Holloway, Marty King, Cole Schmidt</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Kill Order

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheGreatLes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatLes/gifts).



The world...was rotten.

Everything was in chaos and shambles since the flares ravaged the upper hemisphere and destroyed everything in their wake. The only good that came out of it was the decision for the world's governments to unite as one. It was an odd form of forced peace that did little to soothe the people in all their suffering. A growing population posed a problem in terms of food distribution and supply. The governments shoved these problems on the PFC--Post-Flare Coalition--and expected them to come up with some kind of solution.

A woman of the Council sat her her desk. She rapped her pencil repeatedly against her desk. Before her laid a piece of paper. It was a consent form that was spreading to the desks of all Councilpersons from the science department. One man in particular touted that he had the solution to their population problems. A virus. It was one he proudly developed himself. The man wanted to target small settlements in the Appalachian mountains, claiming that cancelling them out was for the betterment of the rest of the world. It was, supposedly, the perfect virus. It killed instantly, forcing the victim into a coma, and its infection rate slowed over time.

The idea of population control via murder did not settle well on some of the Councilpersons. Hisoka knew there was a large amount of opposition. Her own opinion on the matter she kept to herself. It wasn't a matter of morals that kept her silent, but a matter of opportunity. If the man was as persistent as he was rumored to be, then her support of this plan was pertinent. It was an interesting opportunity for her to turn biological warfare into her favor.

A soft knocking on her door alerted her to a visitor. The timing was on point to the time line she conjured up for the upcoming events. Now it was all a matter of playing the game.

"Come in, Mr. Schmidt," She said, straightening herself in her chair. "I've been expecting you."

Cole Schmidt was the lead of the science department. His co-workers described him as something of a radical. His information was easily obtainable for someone of her status. She already knew more about him than he'd ever dream to know about her. It was advantageous to know as much about potential partners as it was to know about your enemies. 

The man who entered the room was tall and slender. He brought with him an air of confidence and authority on par with her own. Cole shut the door behind him and locked his eyes on Hisoka's. She could see a piercing intelligence and importance in them. He was a man who knew what he wanted out of this life. That was something Hisoka knew she could appreciate.

There was no hesitation or preliminary greetings. Cole broke the silence by jumping straight to business. "It is a smart move," He said. "Most of the people out there, the ones who survived the initial Flares themselves, are going to die. The world is a terrible place. Not only will this solve the overpopulation issue, but it will also help...move things along faster for those who will come to terms with the natural order itself. Better to die of a controlled virus than dehydration, or external injuries."

His arms folded behind his back and looked her in the eye. 

"We, as humans, have always known that survival of the fittest is what the world needs. That we need to advance and to continue to be the superior species. In a time like this, we cannot risk miscalculating, cannot risk putting our future in those people out there. We need to make sure that we bring the change, and that we are able to control it if need be. The world does not need to go back to the way that it was before the sun flares. We can surpass everything that we were before."

Cole Schmidt talked with a passion that Hisoka only heard in the most ruthless of men. There was no doubt in her mind as he delivered his compelling argument that he was wise in coming to her. A devilish smile crossed her lips as he finished. She set down her pencil and leaned back in her seat, collapsing her hands together and tucking them beneath her chin. 

"I'm under the impression this virus causes immediate death. It's supposed to shut down the brain and induce a coma in the victim. Am I correct? It sounds simply enough, but...consider if the virus mutates? You have said there is no cure. A mutation would be, well, undesirable."

Hisoka leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk, and looked him up and down. She gauged his reaction to her challenge. She wasn't done poking holes in his argument just yet. If they were going to negotiate, she was going to rip him apart first.

"As you said," Hisoka flashed her teeth. "There's no room for miscalculation. Who's to say your calcuations are correct? How strenuously have you worked your team? How many hours have you clocked in? Pray tell me, are you truly prepared to unleash a possibly unstable virus into the population as a means of control? Citing Darwinism to me, of all things? Are you remotely aware of the ethics and morals of this decision? I need a better argument to sway the more...pacifistic members of the Council."

There were only moments of silence before Cole countered her. 

"The human body is a remarkable thing, Councilwoman," He replied. "As much as anyone is willing to plan and study a virus, or create as this case would be, it would be impossible to determine the effects in each and every individual. The best we can do is understand what the general census will be. What will be happening in the majority of those exposed to it, that is. Mutation is, of course, possible, if not expected. So is resistence to the disease as a whole. Each and every one of those who will be given the illness will have a varying outcome.

The mortality rate of the disease as is, and within the normal human being, should be lethal. It will stop neurological activity, rendering the victim, as you said, comatose, before death. It will be quick, and fairly simple. The disease itself will help us control the remaining people. It will help the PFC take some control of this world again."

He seemed to think over the rest of what she had said. He nodded, "Think about it like this. You have twenty people in a room, there is enough food provisions to last a year. At least if the provisions are limited to one person. If each person were to take their share of the provisions and spread it out between the twenty of them, you would not have enough to last them even a month each. They would slowly die, unethically. Or some might turn, try to steal the provisions from the others to try and last longer. But in the end, they would all be dead as well. We don't have the resources, don't have the facilities, and we definitely do not have the protection to allow every single human to live without risk. Better to save those who can be saved, and to those who cannot? Kill them quickly, and humanely. Don't let them suffer."

Cole watched over Hisoka. She knew he was looking for any sign of reaction that she might have. She gave him nothing. Emotions were best left at the door when it came to negotations.

"Ever have a dog, Councilwoman?" Cole inquired. "Back before the Flares? I did once. Friendly thing, eventually developed a severe case of IBS. I had to watch him die for two months before I decided to put him out of his misery. So, that is what we do with these people. We don't let them suffer. Instead, we give them the peace we all desire."

It was admirable that he was upfront about the possibilties of failure. Hisoka also admired the way he spoke with her. It was clear that Mr. Schmidt was willing to go to great lengths to release his virus into the world. She even wondered if he might not do it without the approval of the Council. That wouldn't sit well with her. Hisoka's desire for control would be thwarted if this man decided to act on his own. She had to take the opportunity now. His passion with this mission erased any feelings of guilt about taking human lives. Not a lot of people were capable of such emotional control. Taking a life was one of the hardest things any human could do unless they were psychotic. 

Hisoka smiled to herself. Such a nasty word was thrown in her direction more than once before the Flares. Sometimes it was because she turned a man down. Other times she truly deserved the description. Hisoka wouldn't call herself psychotic as much as she preferred to say she was methodical and ambitious. Sometimes people just got in her way and she simply removed them in any way possible. What was wrong with that?

"I understand what you're saying, Mr.Schmidt. It's not me you have to convince," Hisoka said. She licked her lips. "In fact, I'm more than willing to further your purposes as long as you agree to help me further mine. I'm willing to convince the entire Council that your idea of population control is just and correct. It's all a matter of what you'll give me in return. It's very simple."

She picked up her pen and lightly twirled it between her fingertips. "You want the power to unleash this virus. I simply want power. I want the chancellor gone and I want to take his place. That's my goal. That's what I strive for. What can you do to help me achieve that, Mr.Schmidt?" Hisoka threw him a challenging expression. She allowed a pause for him to formulate his thoughts. She had no time for lies and take backs. "If we form a partnership, Mr. Schmidt, and I became the head of the PFC, then we would be able to do things both of us want to accomplish. You want to better mankind by reducing the population. I want to run mankind and keep the PFC in control. It sounds like our goals neatly coincide since we share common interests. Don't you agree?" 

"You must truly know nothing of me if you have to ask what I can do to help you accomplish your goals." His voice was slightly sarcastic, and almost as if he were speaking to a naive child. "Surely you understand that I am a smart man, Councilwoman. I know how to play games with both the mind and the body. My virus is proof of this. I am no diplomat, nor am I an...assassin, but I am a scientist. I can be swayed to allow dangerous materials to get places they shouldn't be. The thing I worry about, Councilwoman, is how you plan for this to work. I am willing to work with you and willing to meet you at a common ground that will benefit the both of us. Though, you do know what kind of consequences could arise if this was executed poorly? So surely you understand that I will need some reassurance that I will not be implicated directly during this...agreement."

Hisoka was tempted to counter that she knew more about him than he might initially think. If she didn't she would have never mentioned her ambitions aloud to him. Her words were dangerous. People might consider her a threat and drag her from her position. It was because she knew Mr. Schmidt was someone she could confide in that she mentioned her goals. She knew she could use him for her ambitions and, in return, she would help him with his. So she swallowed her desire for a rebuttle. Life was full of picking and choosing your battles. Hisoka was always playing the game.

"It sounds like we can reach an agreement," She replied smoothly. "But, Mr. Schmidt, it appears it's me you don't really know. I don't execute things poorly. I am not rash or impulsive. I don't make moves that I'm sure will lead to failure. Your lack of confidence is evident to me. I can sense that you're having reservations about me, and I hope I can appease you."

Hisoka lifted her hands in a 'what can you do?' gesture. "I'll make sure no one knows of your involvement if we're found out. Your security is assured. Don't worry about it, Mr. Schmidt." She took up the pen again and scribbled her name on the form. Just like that, he had her approval. "So, we have a deal. I will speak immediately with the others. You can expect an answer in 48 hours, or less. Does that satisfy you?"

"That will suffice, Councilwoman. Once I have confirmation that the others are willing to consent to the control project, I will be happy to assist you in whatever means you desire in bringing down your competition. Please send word when they have signed. I will make sure that, by then, I am able to assist at the soonest possible time." He dipped his head as if he were nothing short of a gentleman and not a scientist hellbent on wiping out a good portion of the human race. "And have a good day, Councilwoman." He moved away and eventually left the room as if it was nothing more than a casual conversation and they weren't plotting a massacre. 

Hisoka waited until he was gone. She leaned back in her chair and lightly tapped the pen against her lips. Her lips curled into a tight grin as she felt the laughter coming up her throat. She let it out only when she was sure Cole was gone. Her laughter filled the room. Hisoka leaned over the desk and shook her head.

"Humans..." She muttered. "We are such a ...greedy species. All it took was signing a piece of paper and I've him attached to strings?" She sighed, sitting up straighter. _But I have to keep him on the strings. No matter. For now, he is satisfied._

Hisoka clicked her tongue as she rummaged over the plan in her head. She recited her speech a few times, then took the phone and pushed a button. Her secretary answered. 

"Hello?" Hisoka smiled, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Yes, I need to call the others in the Council to an immediate meeting...It's very important." She listened to the woman on the other line. Hisoka kept herself from giggling. She was feeling giddy. "Yes...Yes, please tell them it's important and they must be there. 20 minutes. Thank you."

Hisoka put the phone down and leaned back once more, eyes closed.

Child's play.


	2. Infection

_"Where are you going?" She demanded, grabbing the man by the arm. "You can't go to the settlement! We don't know what's happening there. It's dangerous."_

_"I have to help them," He replied. He pulled his arm from her grip and narrowed his eyes. "The settlement was attacked, Ivol. People are dying. We may live a mile out, but we still owe that place for our supplies. I'm going to help them, whether you agree with it or not."_

_"Elijah," Ivol said with exasperation. "You can't go there. I know you want to help, but we shouldn't risk ourselves. What if something happens?"_

_"Do all you care about is self-preservation?" Elijah quipped. "You're selfish, Ivol. Grow a heart."_

_Elijah picked up his things and began to walk out of their shoddily hand-made cabin. Ivol hurried after him until they reached the doorway. She stopped there, calling after him._

_"Elijah!"_

_Elijah...Elijah...Elijah..._ Her eyes slowly opened as the dream ebbed away. Three months ago he walked out the door. One month of waiting for him to return before she packed up and left him behind. Rumors were spreading in the area about a deadly sickness wrecking havoc on the nearby settlement that Elijah went to and forced Ivol to make the toughest decision of her life. Relocation. If Elijah was still out there, she only hoped he was able to follow here even three months later.

She was greeted by the sun's harsh light spilling through the makeshift window of her mud-bulilt home. It was as hot today as every other day was since the Flares. It'd been an entire year, yet the sun still shone mercilessly on the land. Ivol rolled out of bed. She thought higher in the mountains would be cooler due to its high altitude. It didn't help much. The mountains were no longer snow-capped. As far as she was concerned, snow was a thing of the past. So was companionship.

Ivol sat on her bed's edge and sighed. She looked at the door as if expecting him to burst through it at any moment. Loneliness was something she'd learned to deal with over the past few months. There was another settlement nearby if she ever caved in to her cravings for human contact. Otherwise, it was between her and nature to hash things out. No longer did she hear the annoying voice of her companion buzzing in her ear. No longer did he scold, berate, or challenge her. No longer was he here to comfort, love, and soothe her.

_I don't have time for this_ , Ivol blinked her thoughts away. It only took a moment of hesitation--a moment of emotion--to allow a person to fall apart in this world. The time for mourning Elijah was over. As long as she kept herself busy, the feelings would stay away.

She pulled herself from the bed and dressed. Dressing light was the key, not that she had much choice in clothing. She wore a short-sleeved shirt she'd worn the day of the Flares, a pair of jeans, and her favorite pair of 10" tree-climbing boots. Before the Flare, her family enjoyed camping and the outdoors. Ivol grew a talent in scaling trees as well as learning hunting and trapping. It was almost funny how her family's habits helped save her life. It certainly hadn't saved theirs.

Her morning routine was simple. After getting dressed, she was to go check her fish traps at the stream. If she had any catches, then she was to collect them before checking her other traps. Fish were a more-likely catch than any other creature in the area. They were less affected by the sun going berserk on the world. Fish was one of her main courses. Ivol recently started to contemplate building a fish farm. 

She was walking out the door when her world was shattered. It happened so suddenly. She hardly registered the very words that did it. They called to her in a hollow tone.

"Ivol! Is that you?"

It'd been a while since she heard any voice other than her own, but that one in particular she hadn't heard for months. The world slowed down. Ivol looked into the distance to spot a unkempt, dirty figure with his hands cupped around his mouth. Her mouth dried. Her throat grew a lump. Ivol tried to force up words, but nothing was coming out.

There he was. Still tall. Still with short, dark hair. Still with his light hazel eyes. Everything was in place except with some more sweat, smudge, and dirt rubbed on. There was a mix of emotions running through Ivol at the sight. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to bend over and throw up. Instead, she managed to find her words.

"Elijah?" She croaked. "What the hell?"

And just like that, the moment ended.

Elijah crumpled to the ground. Her body kicked into high gear and she raced over to him, falling to her knees at his side. "Elijah! Oh my god, you stupid fucking jerk! I thought you were **dead**."

Elijah looked dazed and dehydrated. Now that Ivol was able to get a closer look at him, she realized he also looked sick. Her heart skipped a beat as something inside of her brought back the rumors of sickness in the prior settlement. That was where Elijah had presumably been all this time. A sudden sinking feeling weighed heavy in Ivol's stomach. "Wait here, Eli."

She ran back into the hut. Her hands were shaking and she was feeling frantic as she ripped open a package of water bottles she'd received from the nearby settlement. She'd exchanged them for some elk meat she didn't need. It took a few tries to pick up a bottle without dropping it, but eventually she was running back out to Elijah. He still remained on the ground where she'd left him.

"Elijah, here. Drink this. You need to drink this," Ivol stuttered. She helped him sit up and opened the bottle, pouring the water against his lips. 

Elijah drank the water. It caused him to fall into a coughing fit as it flowed down his parched throat. "Not dead," He coughed. _Yet._ He kept the last part internalized. Going to the settlement had been the worst mistake of his life. Now he was sick. It wasn't any ordinary illness than ran through him, either. It was something people started to dub The Flare and it drove one to the brink of insanity before pushing them over the edge. It was a nasty disease. Elijah was able to see its effects in the settlement before he left.

He should have listened to Ivol three months ago. Now he was reaping the consequences of his actions, but he refused to die until he saw Ivol once more. He was here to make amends. Hearing Ivol's voice made Elijah feel content enough to die right there knowing it was the last thing he'd hear. Unfortunately, the illness was not so kind to its victims. 

"Thanks." He took another drink of the water. It was a bittersweet feeling. Nice against the heat, but a tease of the health he once knew. Elijah wasn't going to announce to Ivol plain and simple that he was infected, but he would have to tell her so she didn't contract the disease, either. That would be worse than becoming one of the things being dubbed "Crank". Knowing that she would suffer the same fate as him.

Elijah glanced up at her and flashed a comical smile. "Sorry for looking like crap. Tough...-" He coughed before finishing. "Times."

"Feel lucky you look like crap. I'd have roughed you up otherwise," Ivol snapped. She narrowed her blue eyes at him and crossed her arms. "So, where the fuck have you been? I thought you went to the settlement and..." She huffed, looking away. "I thought you died, you jerk. I was worried."

A wash of guilt swept over her. Now that Elijah was alive she felt terrible for leaving him behind. She felt she hadn't waited long enough for him. She hadn't waited to see and make sure he wasn't coming back to her.

_What are you thinking, Ivol?_ She grumbled to herself. _You stayed as long as possible. Those rumors of a sickness were getting intense. You had to leave. Besides, **he** is the one who abandoned **you.**_

"I have no doubt you would. You were never one to take kindly to someone leaving you." The sentence was a bit rough, though coherent. Elijah feared for when his sanity would drain and speaking would become a task. At least, speaking with some sense. "Of course, that would also make you a bit of a hypocrite seeing as you never decided to come and see if I was okay." But he regretted saying as such after he spoke. Elijah winced at his words and looked to the ground, his expression instantly falling.

Ivol bristled at what she perceived as an accusation. She couldn't fathom why she would ever take kindly to someone abandoning her. Not after all the guilt of leaving her family. When the Flares hit their home, she'd chosen **him** over looking for her family. She never figured out whether her mothers and sister lived. She left Chicago with **him** , yet he ended up leaving her in the end, too. 

"I thought you were dead, Elijah. I thought you were gone. I couldn't stay there anymore. Not with the rumors I'd been hearing. Not with..." She paused, hesitated, and then lowered her voice. The aggression fell from it. "Not with the lingering memories of us."

It pained her to admit that. It was true that she and Elijah became very close over the year. Trauma was one of the strongest methods of bonding, though she'd never admit love. Love was a trivial and unimportant emotion anymore. The sun flares ruined any hope of positive emotion. It was all about survival now. She and Elijah had survived together. That was more significant and stronger than admitting her trivial feelings.

With a brief huff, Elijah looked down to the dusty ground. He missed the lush world before the sun flares. He missed all the colors that seemed to dance before your eyes. In the end, he nearly missed everything from the world that once was. Even though, in the past, all of that would have been taken for granted. A world in which he had so much, he tossed it away. And now when he had nothing, he was clinging on to whatever he had left.

He didn't blame her for getting defensive with what he had first said. Elijah would have if she had said something similar to him. That didn't mean he didn't flinch from her wording, though. The fact she thought he was dead...Maybe it would have been for the better to not have sought her out. She would have gone on thinking he was dead and not that he was alive and suffering. But it was too late for that now. Now he just needed to know that she forgave him and that she didn't think too poorly of him before he died. He needed that knowledge before he died.

"I figured that you would have moved. With everything that was happening at the settlement...I wouldn't blame you." His eyes clogged with despair. "I guess you have a good idea of what went down there?" He clutched the water bottle in his hand, shaking slightly. "I know word spread quickly about the circumstance of the settlement."

"I...only heard things. I don't really know what happened at the settlement, " Ivol admitted. "I heard things from people who fled. They said everyone was getting sick and dying. They said it was killing people within days. I...I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid." She toyed with a string on her shirt, frowning. "How did you find me? I practically moved to the other side of the Appalachian." That was an exaggeration. But she was still impressed with his persistence. 

"I heard rumors. I didn't even expect to find you here. If I was being completely honest, I just happened to stumble across here. I figured that you would be close to another settlement and just did some searching within the realm of what I thought was close, but not too close, to said settlement," He explained, hoarse. His throat was annoyed with speech, but he didn't really care about that or his throbbing, oncoming headache. He wanted to talk to her. _Needed_ to, in fact.

Elijah looked back up at her, not able to meet her eye. Not wanting to. "I needed to come to see you. I needed to...gah," he blinked rapidly. The headache burned in his skull. "I needed to apologize. I needed to make sure there were no hard feelings between us."

Ivol wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened to the settlement. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened to Elijah while he was there. Something inside told her that learning meant pain. Ivol was trying to shun pain. She'd had enough of it for an eternity. His words caused alarm. She grimaced. It sounded like he was going to leave her again. 

_Why would you ever come back to just make amends with me, then leave me again? She thought. Why are you always so annoying, Eli?_

"Elijah, there's no need to apologize. You're back now, aren't you? This placed I moved to...it's peaceful. We can start over here."

Elijah physically shook when she mentioned that they could start over here, that they might have some chance of making amends. He took too long to try and figure out what he was going to say and now she was talking about starting over. That he was back now...

But he wasn't. Not really.

Whatever tears he could must filled his eyes. "I...just need to hear you say that you forgive me. Please." He gritted his teeth, the inside of his mouth gross-tasting and hot. His teeth were yellowed and even slightly chipped from a scuffle he had before he had gotten the Flare. "That's why I'm here. I can't stay. I'm sorry." The tears treaded down his dirty cheeks, burning from his eyes. "I can't risk harming you. Not after...not after before."

His tears made her eyes widen. Her heart beat faster. _What's going on with him?_

Ivol leaned forward and reached out a hand. "Elijah? What are you talking about? You know I forgive you. Of course I do." His insistence that he couldn't stay was starting to get on her nerves. "Why _can't_ you stay? Quit telling me you're sorry!" Her voice rose, cracked. "You're scaring me, Elijah. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He knew that he needed to tell her. He had to make her understand that leaving was not a choice of his.

"I...I'm sick, Ivol. I have the Flare."' 

"The Flare?" Ivol said. She didn't know what that meant, but the look on his face told her it wasn't good. It told he it wasn't something she wanted. "What is that? Elijah...what's going on?"

Elijah didn't want to explain it, didn't want to go into detail about what he saw at the settlement. What he saw people turn into. What the illness did. He wanted to keep her innocence, to allow her to tread on her naive pathway. But that would only be harming her in the future. He didn't want anything to happen to her. He wanted her safe and well. That was a foolish wish for a time like now, but it was something he desired nonetheless.

"The illness at the settlement. They started calling it The Flare since it appeared so soon after the Flares. It..." He cringed. "It does something to you. It chews at your sanity until you become nothing more than a husk of what you were before." He was shaking now, wanting to stop, not wanting to continue on what would happen him. "It changes you. You become so far gone that you are no longer human. You're nothing but a monster. They're calling them Cranks."

He fumbled with his hands. "I don't know how much time I have left or how much longer I can last. Even if you did take me in with that knowledge of The Flare...you get it from someone who is already infected. I don't want you to have to go through this, Ivy. Not after all you've already been through."

Elijah wanted her to grow old and live like the world wasn't falling to pieces around them. It was another one of his foolish dreams. As much as he wanted it, he couldn't make it so. But he could try.

"I needed some closure from you...before I died."

Ivol listened patiently. She found it all sounded more and more insane to her the more he explained, which may give good hint at his mental state already. 'The Flare' sounded like no disease she'd ever heard of before. In a way, it sounded artificial. The name of the disease left a bad taste in her mouth as she mouthed it, causing her nose to wrinkle. Its description sounded like it came from a movie on biological warfare. 

The Flare. Cranks. It all became too much for her to take in. Ivol shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Trying to gather her thoughts. "Okay, okay...so you've pretty much told me that you're _dying_. Is that it? You came here to tell me you were dying?" She hissed out the last word as she opened her eyes. "Fucking _dammit_ , Elijah."

It was ridiculous. Everything that he just told her was ridiculous and everything that just happened was worthless. Elijah was going to crawl off like a defeated dog to die in the woods. Her lips curled into a snarl. Her body began to tremble with fury.

"Fuck. Fuck. **FUCK.** " She threw her arms in the air. "Elijah, you're the most goddamn, _selfish_ p.o.s that I've had the displeasure of knowing. You...you _know_ how I felt about you and yet you came back here so I could _forgive_ you? So you could _die_? No. **No.** I'm not going to accept this. I'm not standing for this."

Ivol grabbed him by the shoulders, held him there tightly. "You're not going anywhere, Elijah William Holloway. You are not leaving me again. Disease be damned. Imminent death be damned. Elijah, there's no point in me going on if you just _leave._ " Her voice faltered and shook. "So you shut your fuckin' melodramatic mouth and listen to me. Okay? You're _not_ leaving. We're going to figure this out. You and I. Just like always. Are we clear?"

Elijah should have expected her to react as she did, but a small part of him had been hoping that she would no longer care about him enough to get upset over this. Maybe it was a naive thought. He should have known she wasn't going to cheer and send him off with a simple 'best wishes! Hope you don't suffer too long!' Instead, he was confronted with the reality of coming here and telling her what was happening to him.

Her shouts made him wince. He was no longer the jester who would have brushed off her aggressive tone. Instead, he was someone who was forced to close his eyes and keep himself as huddled as he could. He listened to her curse him out, tell him she wasn't going to stand for it, and insult him. Which she had every right to do for what he'd done by coming back. He didn't speak, not because he didn't have anything to say, but mainly because he was afraid how it would come out at this point.

Grunting when she hauled him up by his shoulders he felt a brief fleeting panic. She spoke as if she had some hope, but he knew that it was just desperation talking. She thought she would be able to figure something out and fix what he was going through. As if he hadn't already tried. There was no cure. There was no hope. He was damned, and she was just wanting to be there while he suffered.

"Ivol, it's not that simple. You can't 'figure' this out. I'm a dead man!" He strained his voice on the last bit. Calming himself, he gulped as if to swallow his sadness only to have it pop back up. "And you'll be as good as dead, too, if you get involved. Ivol, please, listen to me when I say there is _nothing_ that you can do. There's nothing that _I_ can do. Nothing that anyone can do that will stop this." He begged, "Just do me a favor and _listen_ to me this one time when I say that keeping me around will only endanger you."

"You don't even _know_ that," Ivol snapped. "You don't know if you're dead or not. If it is a disease then there has to be a cure. There _has_ to be something to stave it off. Something to slow it _down._ "

Ivol was trembling. She refused to listen to a word he had to say about the matter. She wasn't going to let him go. He wasn't _leaving_ her again. Not when there was a chance for him. There had to be a cure to the disease, no matter how complicated the cure. Ivol was determined to travel as far as it took and to fight as hard as her body allowed to save him. And she couldn't believe he came here thinking she would willingly accept his demise.

She forced calmness into her tone. Yelling was going to get them nowhere. Ivol eyed him, eyes darkening. "You can't make decisions for me, Elijah. If I want to hang around your sorry, sick ass, then I'm going to do it. I'm going to..."

Her voice was cut off by a load humming noise in the air. Ivol looked up and what she saw made her mouth drop. "What the...?"

Elijah didn't want to tell her that not every disease had a cure. That thinking was just wishful thinking. There wasn't an answer to everything no matter how much you wished there was. That being said, a small part of him was happy that she wasn't so willing to let him go. He had missed her, and while he had hoped that their meeting would be much happier than this, he was almost glad that she didn't want to give up on him.

He grunted all the same, though, to her decision to stay with him. It was dangerous to her, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to get through that thick skull of hers. "Still, you really need to understand that in doing so you're really-" He had started, but was cut off when her attention focused to the sky. 

Up in the air was a berg. His eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could say or do anything Ivol grabbed his wrist and hauled him to his feet. 

"Come on," She said, running in the direction of the berg. "I think it's heading to the settlement."

He stumbled a bit, trying to keep up a pace behind her, but he was still fairly dizzy and was sure he was going to fall flat on his face at a couple points. It was mere luck that he managed to regain his balance throughout their trek to the settlement.

It was a good half mile away. The two came upon the clearing to find a mass crowd gathered. They pointed and stared at the berg, just as awed and confused as the two. There was no marking on the berg to indicate its origin. The PFC occasionally sent bergs to Asheville to resupply the city, but they were always marked "PFC." Something about the berg rubbed Elijah the wrong way. He looked over to see Ivol mesmerized by the sight of the flying machine.

"I can't believe it. What in the world are they doing here?" She inquired. Ivol looked over to him. "Do you think they're here to help the sick?"

Elijah didn't think so. Something about the unmarked machine rubbed him the wrong way. He watched as the doors to the berg were slowly lowered, revealing four men in bio-hazard suits. They all held what looked like a gun, pointing it down to the crowd. A lump caught in his throat. 

These people weren't here to help. They were here to attack the settlers. And Elijah had a good guess why.

"What are they doing?" Ivol gasped. She hurried toward the crowd, waving her arms and screaming. "Get out of the way! Get away from there. Hey!"

"Ivol!" Elijah stumbled after her. 

One of the men turned his attention to the duo at the edge of the clearing, aiming his fire-arm in their direction. In the direction of Ivol. While being shot and killed quickly was appealing to him rather than suffering a slow loss of sanity, he knew he had to stay with Ivol. At least for the time being.

That was why mere moments before the man fired, he tackled Ivol to the ground, bringing them both momentarily to the dirt. A black dart narrowly missed them both as it struck the ground. 

"Go! Go!" He shouted at her, staggering to get back to his feet.

"What are they doing?" Ivol was frantic. She all but pushed Elijah off her and jumped to her feet, eyes wide. The scene before her showed the men shooting darts into the crowd. Some hit with sickening _thuds_ , sending people to the ground. Dead. "This is...manslaughter."

She turned to Elijah, "Where are we going to _go_? There's nowhere _to_ go. They could follow us."

"It doesn't matter. We just need to go, _now_ ," Elijah's tone flooded with urgency. Gripping her arm, like she had done with him previously, he hauled her after him with all his strength.

The man who had aimed at them, having been momentarily occupied with targeting someone else, had turned his attention back to them. Elijah ran as quickly as he could with the sickness racking his body. The adrenaline from having death on his doorstep allowed him to push on at a fairly quick speed, Ivol in tow. He didn't look back even as he heard the shouting and screaming from the settlement.

"Elijah," Ivol spoke up. "We can't go straight back to the hut. Those asshats will chase us into a corner. We should circle around."

She was right. If the two of them got pressed back there would be nothing they could do other than huddle up and wait. There had to be another way to tackle this, another way for them to figure it out.

_We'll figure it out._

Ivol's words rang in Elijah's head about the sickness. Now he was using her own words and applying it to this situation. He grimaced. _If only._

It was risky to circle around. If they did they might run into the men again. If they didn't, then they might be sealing their doom there and then. 

"Fine!" He snorted, glancing behind him. He saw a villager in the distance who was flailing and running like a madman. Elijah couldn't blame him. These men, whoever they were, were here to cause trouble. He skidded to a stop and heaved, feeling the weight of his sickness smacking into him like a ton of bricks. It took everything he had not to topple over right there. 

"Eli..." Ivol touched his shoulder. Her brows knitted together and she frowned. He could see the worry in her eyes. 

"I'm fine," Elijah reassured her, standing straighter. They needed to think how they would manage to circle around them without being spotted. "They might be patrolling the area closest to the berg. If we're careful, we should be able to get around them." It wasn't really a plan. It was, more or less, a statement.

"Did you see how many of them there was? I couldn't really tell. The less there are, the less we have to worry." His head was stll spinning, but more or less solely from the panic.

"I didn't," Ivol shook her head. "I saw at least four standing at the mouth of the berg and that berg was hovering rather high. I doubt they'd have jumped down, especially into a chaotic crowd." She paused and bit her lip. "What if we did return to the hut? We could grab supplies and pack up. Run away. We...we can't stay here anymore, Elijah."

Her eyes fell to the dirt. Just months ago she moved here to escape chaos and found peace. Now chaos followed her and she was being forced to dig up her life once more and move. She lifted her eyes back to Elijah, "What do you think?"

Gritting his teeth, he knew he had to agree. He nodded. "That is probably the best course of action." Admitting it almost felt like claiming defeat, but there was no choice. It was better to try and make a run for it and live rather than wait to be killed like rats. 

"Though, we're going to have to be careful. If these men are here attacking this settlement, then it would only make sense that there are more of them attacking others." It was a pessimistic conclusion, but one that made sense. If these men were ordered to target here, then there would be more attacking elsewhere. "We'll have to be careful from here on out."

The two raced back to the mud hut as fast as either one's legs would allow. The hum of the berg faded with distance. Ivol couldn't help but look back every few minutes to make sure it wasn't chasing them. The whole incident had her on edge. She couldn't help but feel some suspicion that Elijah was hiding information from her. Her thoughts lingered back to the rumors of sickness at the other settlement. Had Elijah figured out the origin of the sickness? Was it connected to what she just witnessed? There were so many questions, but no time to confront him for answers.

She was sweating and heaving from the sun's intense heat by time they finally made it inside the hut. She cursed under her breath. As someone who climbed trees and walked trap lines, she thought she was in more shape than this. Ivol blamed it on the high temperatures that plauged the Earth. It was all the sun's fault.

"Look for something to use as a bag. Quickly! I don't know how much time we have," Ivol snapped. She grabbed an elk skin from one of her hunts and began to stuff supplies in it. Food. Water. She grabbed everything essential before tying the skin up with a string. It was going to have to do considering she didn't have any real bags.

Elijah as coughing, his lungs and throat burning with every breath he took. He managed to find some large rags that looked as if they'd hold if tied together. Or at least he hoped they would. He figured he could makeshift them into some sort of carrying sack. He fumbled the rags together, tying knots, and twisting them so that they might work as a bag. When he finished, he handed them to Ivol.

"Make sure to pack everything you can. God only knows when the next time we'll be back here will be."

And thought Elijah didn't want to add it: _or if we'll ever be._

Once Ivol had everything they could carry, she walked to the door and peeked out the hut. Nothing. All was silent outside. She was only greeted by the heat, causing her to immediately break into a sweat once more. Curse the sun. Curse the sun flares. The last thing she wanted to do was run out in the heat again, but staying was too dangerous.

Ivol turned to Elijah and sung her pack over her shoulder. "Let's go? It looks like the berg is gone for now." 

The berg being gone set her more on edge than soothed her. It was possible the attackers landed the ship and now were on foot searching for survivors. The only good that came out of this whole attack was it made Elijah forget his idiotic mission to run off and die. For now, to Ivol's relief, it seemed he was going to stick by her side.

Walking toward the entrance to the hideout, Elijah took a short sideways glance at his companion. It felt good to be at her side again, but he knew this wasn't going to last. Eventually, he would turn into something more like a monster than a human. He hadn't planned to stay. Hadn't meant to stay. But it was fitting, he thought, to die making sure that Ivol lived. That was what he planned to do, to make sure she lived through these events at the cost of his own life.

That was how he wanted to go.

Elijah took a step out into the wasteland that was once a beautiful and wonderful world. "It only gets worse from here on out," He said, tone grim. As he began to make his way out into the unknown, Ivol at his side, clinging to his makeshift bag, he couldn't help but think...

_This is just the beginning of the end._


	3. Sleepless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally wrote this sleepless. This was finished at 6AM the next morning. Woo!

          Dreams were no longer dreams as far as Elijah was concerned. They were more like twisted illusions, abominations of memories and thoughts and straight up darkness. Ever since the disease had run through his body, his dreams had become more and more hard to follow. If he remembered them at all they were foggy and blurred. He couldn't control his dreams anymore, despite once being lucid.

        It was worse than ever now. His dreams were filled with fragments from when he was at his former settlement, the one that caused him to leave Ivol and the settlement that fell to The Flare, infecting him along with it. But this time was something different, as if more a memory than a dream. Something that he had long forgotten in his waking mind.

         _There was a very ill man in the medical building that Elijah was tending to.  He had lost most of his thought process and his sentences barely made sense. It was night and Elijah was trying to make the man comfortable for bed. He kept scratching at his head fervently, muttering about how there were bugs in his head. There were bugs and he needed to get them out._

_"Sir, there's no bugs in you head," Elijah tried to soothe him. He took the man's arm and forced it from his head. "I promise there's nothing in your head."_

_It was the wrong move. The man jerked his hand away and began to scream._

_"They're going to kill us all! This is all their fault! Their fault! The men in the berg! They'll kill us all!" The man grabbed his head and dug in his nails, drawing blood. "Get them out of my head! Out of my head!"_

_"H-hey. It's okay. Calm down! Calm down, okay?" Elijah grabbed the man's wrists and again forced his arms down. He pushed his weight into the man, struggling to keep him still. "It's okay. There are no men. There are no bergs. You're safe. Hey!"_

_The man howled wildly and fought against Elijah. His demeanor suddenly became animalistic and he lurched forward, snapping his teeth._

_"I could use some help!" Elijah called over his shoulder. He looked back just in time to get spit in the face. Elijah released the man and stumbled back, quickly wiping his face.  He heard the running footsteps of his colleagues as they took over and subdued the man._

_Elijah, on the other hand, was feeling his heart beat faster as he scrubbed at his face harder and harder, as if somehow that'd get all the bacteria off.  As if he could somehow scrub the disease away._

        He didn't understand the significance of the memory while dreaming. It wasn't until his unconscious thoughts collided with the events of the previous day, the berg, the men, the darts...

        Could it be?

        His eyes jutted open and he threw himself up from resting spot. Elijah realized he'd been thrashing about in his sleep. He also assumed he hadn't been asleep long, given that his eyes felt sore and burned. Though, he couldn't be sure. They often felt like that now. His eyes weren't his main concern. It was the dream. Could the men from earlier be trying to infect people?

         _That's insane..._

        But something Elijah believed was likely, given the events.

        He heard rustling behind him and a groggy voice croaking, "Elijah?"

        Ivol was awake now. Earlier she rolled away from him to avoid getting kicked and punched as he thrashed and fought whatever demons haunted his dreams. Now she stared at him with the upmost concern. She knew what it was like to have those kind of dreams. Dreams that were actually memories of the past.

         They started as soon as the sun flares hit. She dreamed of seared skin and melting people. Dead people. The metro station and how she barely escaped it with her life. It was only because of Elijah she made it through. She owed him her life, but right now all she could give was her support. With Elijah at her side she usually dreamed of darkness.  His presence soothed her to a point of numbness and chased the night terrors away. If only it worked both ways.

        Ivol crawled closer to Elijah and settled down at his side, leaning her head into him. "Hey. What's wrong?"

        "Oh," Elijah muttered sleepily. He wondered if he should mention his dream and what he thought. What conclusion he'd drawn. But it was too soon to assume something like this. He didn't have conclusive proof, right? So he decided not to get Ivol worked up on something that might not even be true. Instead, he accepted her presence and lightly placed an arm around her. "Just a bad dream, is all."

        It was true. It had been a pretty bad dream. "Not that I should be complaining, I guess. Any kind of dream is good nowadays. At least in the context that we're getting some rest." But with that being said, Elijah felt more alert than before. He felt like his whole body was tense, ready to spring. "I apologize for waking you up. You should be getting all the sleep you can get."

        "Sleep? What's sleep?" Ivol asked jokingly. She rolled her eyes at him. "I haven't known that concept in a year. You don't get much rest when you have bad dreams." 

        She gave a dismissive wave of her hand and tucked her head under his chin, sighing. Ivol closed her eyes. "So...just a bad dream, huh? Was it that day? The day the sun flares came?"

        It was a wild guess. Ivol could only imagine the nightmares that haunted Elijah. She could only hope that were similar to her own. It was easier for her to offer assistance in those instances. She opened her eyes and stared up at him inquisitively. "Well? Was it? Or...was it something else entirely?"

        "Something like that. That, mixed with my illness, it just isn't sitting well in my mind. In the end, it's just mash up of shit from the start of it all to present day. I don't know how much my mind can continue to take, especially considering...everything that's likely happening to it." Elijah winced, finding the idea of something literally chewing on his brain disgusting. But he knew the actual thing was much, much worse. He'd seen it.

        Elijah squeezed Ivol's shoulder, "You know, you really shouldn't be this close to me. God forbid that you get sick, too. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

        As much as he wanted to be close to her and not worry about being around here there was no a constant fear in his mind that he, himself, and not the collapse of the world, would be the death of her. And that would kill him just as badly as some sickness.

        The thought of suicide hadn't left his mind, despite him not bringing it up. He wasn't going to abandon Ivol until he knew she was safe. Only then would he find comfort in knowing that he could end his life without worry. He wasn't going to turn into one of those monsters. He just hoped Ivol would be situated by that time. He didn't know how much time he had to work with...How much time he had left.

        "Yeah, if you say so," Ivol rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not going to act like you're poison to me, Elijah. You may as well get used to it."

        There was something about his words that put her off. She had an itching feeling that Elijah was holding back and avoiding from telling her something. His insistence on her not being close to him was also getting on her nerves. She was all but tempted to take him and shove her lips against his, swap some spit, and then promptly tell him to shut the fuck up. If only she knew for sure the illness was spread via saliva. She could become infected, too, and they could die a blissfully horrid death together. How ideal.

        Elijah bit his tongue and narrowed his eyes at her response. The way she just shrugged off the fact that he might be nothing more than a time-bomb against her...He wanted to keep her near, but that just wasn't possible anymore. At least, it wasn't possible without consequences.

        "Well..." Ivol sighed and sucked in a breath. "If bad dreams are going to keep us up all night, then we may as well make use of our consciousness. What do you say?" She knelt down and picked up a stick, twirling it in her hand. "Where should we go, Eli? Should we wait and investigate the settlement? Should we run? What?"

        In all honesty, she was feeling morbidly curious. She wanted to know what became of the settlement and its settlers. Another part of her said it was reckless. Her survival was more important than curious wonders. Eli's, too.

        Pausing for a moment to think over their options, Elijah knew that while going to the settlement might give them peace of mind or a conclusive idea of where the disease stemmed from, it was also risky business. Too risky, at least within the first day of being attacked. If they were going to return to the settlement he wanted to wait and make sure it was abandoned by the men in the berg.

        "We move forward. There isn't any point in staying here or going back to the settlement. It isn't like we need more things to worry about and you never know what might be back at that settlement." It was true. He didn't know what might be back there or even if he wanted to know what was back there. "Going forward and getting away from here is likely our best option at this point. We can't dwindle in one place anymore. We need to keep moving. Stay on our toes."

        That was his best and only advice. He wasn't sure whether Ivol would agree or not, but he hoped she'd at least see where he was coming from. It was the best option to keep them both safe and that was his primary concern. He didn't want to deal with anymore than the two of them already were forced to.

        Elijah was going for the same thing as Ivol's instincts called for. They had to survive. Despite Ivol's tenuous connection with the settlement, she didn't have any particular loyalty to them. She wasn't one of them. Yet at the same time she felt some guilt in her gut. She'd been something of a lookout. Apparently she hadn't been a very good one. 

        "I see what you're saying," Ivol replied.  Elijah was going for the same thing Ivol's instincts called for. They had to survive. Despite Ivol's tenuous connection with the settlement she felt no particular loyalty to them. She wasn't one of them. Yet, at the same time, she felt some guilt in her gut. She'd acted as something of a lookout. Apparently, she hadn't done her job very well.

        She looked in the direction of the settlement. It felt wrong leaving without knowing what happened. Ivol bit her lip. "What if we need to know what happened back there? What if it's pertinent to our survival? I don't know, Elijah. There's something fishy about it all. I don't know why, but I feel like ignoring the attack would leave us ignorant to...something."

        The question was what? Ivol was not entirely ready to jump headlong into some mystery. She wasn't going to magically save the world, yet the knowledge they could gain might assist their own chances of survival. 

        "I think we should stay away for a few days before taking a one day trip back and scoping it out. We'll see what's up. After that, I think we should leave."

        Providing nothing changed their minds. Ivol doubted that. Whatever happened with the berg, she was sure they didn't want any part of it.

        While Elijah was aware that Ivol could make her own decisions, and yet she seemed to be second-guessing his judgment. That was something he didn't particularly like. Mainly it was because he didn't want her back in that settlement, period. Nor did he want to waste any time on returning to the place when there could be another, safe place up ahead. That wasn't a realistic thought. Everywhere was going to be like this and it was likely the other settlement were already gone. Ivol was going to come across something like this eventually, whether he liked it or not.

        "Fine," He snorted, clearly miffed at the idea of having to take the time and energy to return and investigate something he already had suspicions about. He wasn't going to argue with her anymore. She would learn to make mistakes and do things on her own, anyways. It was a fast approaching fact that he wasn't going to be around and that he wouldn't come back. But Ivol was tough. She didn't need some guy watching over her all the time. Despite Elijah wanting to.

        Pulling himself up, he scratched the side of his face. "For now, we better keep a move on. We'll keep at least semi-close to the area to make sure it won't take us too long to get back to the settlement when we need to. But we do need to put space between us. Just in case not all those bastards have left."

        He paused, picking up his bag containing what little of the rations he was given. "It would be wise for us to spend our time wisely. I suggest looking for or trying to make weapons. It probably won't help us much against the men from the berg, but it is better than being completely defenseless against anyone we come against." He knew this was easier said than time, but they needed to be armed. They needed to be ready to fight.

        Ivol laughed and a sly grin spread across her face. She picked up her pack and reached inside. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you forgot?"

        The knife slid out of the bag. She held it up to show it off. It wasn't huge. It was honestly little more than a pocket knife. Still, it was a weapon.

        "You forgot I carried this thing on me everywhere? I've kept it sharp, too. We can make some make-shift weapons with it." She playfully winked at him, "Perhaps I can sharpen a shank for you? Something like a spear?"

        A spear was a useful tool. Not only could they hurt enemies with it, but they could hunt with it, too. Fishing was another viable option if any fish chose to come around.

        Two days.

        She decided it was best to wait two days before making a move. It gave enough time for whatever happened to happen. It was the aftermath they were going to see.

            Ivol was going to prepare herself for the worst.

 

                                                           ***

        Two days passed. 

        As agreed they were returning to the settlement. Ivol kept her eyes alert and steps light. It was odd being with Elijah again. His footsteps behind her made her tense. It was a certain paranoia that came from being alone. She learned she didn't like being followed. Ivol considered herself a predator. Things were supposed to be in front of her. She was supposed to be their stalker.

        Now that the settlement was in view, she stopped a few yards away. 

        "Okay..." She held her knife just in case. No one could be too careful in this desolate world. "I think we shouldn't go directly in. I...I'm hoping maybe I can climb a tree and see something. We shouldn't just barge in just in case the men are there, right?"

        It was a rhetorical question. Ivol was already climbing a tree by time Elijah might have replied to her. If there was one talent she be noted for, it was her ability to get into a tree. She liked to stay off the ground. It made her feel safe. But lately, she'd taken to sleeping on the ground. Beside Elijah.

        As she climbed, Ivol looked down and smiled at Elijah. "Wait for me, okay?"

        Reaching a branch up high, Ivol swung her leg over it and straddled it. She squinted her eyes and tried to look down into the settlement.  _Man, if only I had some binoculars...Human eyesight is so poor._

"Nothing yet," She muttered. Ivol called down to Elijah. "In fact, it looks pretty dead there."

        Elijah had been loathing the day they would come back to the settlement. He still had a good idea of what happened, but still hadn't mentioned his theory to Ivol. He still believed there was hope for her and wanted to preserve whatever bit of innocence left in her. He didn't want to tell her that The Flare might be a human-made disease. He didn't want to drive her crazy.

        When she said that it looked dead, he was surprised. "So, you don't see anyone down there? At all?" He questioned. It was hard to look up at her with the sun's glare. He had a headache, and it didn't like him raising his voice to talk to her. But he wanted to make sure that she heard him. "Does it look safe enough for the two of us to go in? Or..." He didn't know what else to expect, but he wanted to make sure that she believed the place wasn't going to be dangerous.

        "Do you see  _anything_ , living or dead?" He pressed, rubbing the side of his face that the headache favored. He blinked slowly to try and remove as much of the pain as possible. It was obvious that he wasn't having a good day, physically. He just hoped it wasn't too noticeable to her.

        Ivol didn't know what to say. The entire settlement looked as if everyone just dropped everything and left. Had the people in the berg kidnapped them? Rounded them up like cattle and pushed them aboard? That was not out of the realm of possibility.

        Or.

        "Maybe everyone is afraid?" Ivol ventured a guess. "They could just be hiding in their homes. That could be why we don't see anyone."

        The wind blew. Ivol's eyes watered as a rancid stench reached her nose. She covered her mouth to keep from throwing up. 

        "Elijah," Ivol said. She quickly climbed down the tree, wiping her eyes from the tears and coughing. "Do you  _smell_  that? It's coming from the village?"

        "I wish I  _didn't_  smell that," Elijah said, throwing some of her words back at her. "Are you sure that we should be here, Ivol? What are you even hoping to find? Answers? It seems unlikely that we'll find anything more than a bunch of dead bodies." 

        "I..." Her eyes closed, perhaps because of the water in them. "We still should go down there, evne if I'm getting a bad feeling about this. C'mon."

        Ivol took his hand and began to lead him to the settlement. She noticed the way he was rubbing his head throughout the day and it worried her. It also drove her to find answers. If she found answers, then maybe a cure wasn't far away from her grasps. Even if Elijah thought it was hopeless, she still had to try. For his sake.

        Talking down to Ivol was pointless. She was already leading them to the settlement and Elijah didn't like it one bit. He didn't want to be here. But, if there was anything the apocalypse taught him, it was that you didn't always get what you wanted. Especially when the world was a bitch.

        As they made their way down into the settlement, Elijah felt a sense of eeriness flood over his body. It wasn't human nature to do this and he was still freaked out. Everything seemed so quiet, so desolate. It seemed like no one was here and never had been. All the huts were as they had always been. Nothing was out of place. Only the fact that it seemed no one was around.

        "See Ivol, there's no one here. We should just go. Whatever happened to the settlers, well, I don't know. But it's best not to dwell on it. We need to just head...-" His voice trailed off when his attention was brought to a noise. A very quiet nose. It was coming from behind him. Like someone was there, breathing heavily. But as he turned, ever so slowly, he regretted doing so.

        What he saw was worse than death itself...worse than anything that could be considered by fantasy or horror.

        He saw a Crank.

        Elijah had seen a Crank before at the last settlement. He had watched the people slowly lose their minds before becoming the twisted reflections of something that might have once been human. But now, this beast, like the ones before, was not human. It was something that was far beyond anything that a human could feel or understand. It was a monster, an abomination.

        It was his future.

        "Elijah?" Ivol turned to see what he was looking at. She froze in complete and utter awe when she saw the Crank. She couldn't help but stand there, staring, eyes wide and mouth agape. She'd never seen a creature so...dastardly. So disgusting. It almost gave her flashbacks to the melted bodies from the sun flares. Yet. This body was  _moving_. It was  _talking_. 

        The Crank was a sight for sore eyes.

        He stood there, breathing rasps, eyes bugged out wide and fists clenched. His fists went through a repeated process of clench, relaxed, clenched, relaxed again as if grappling for some invisible thing in the air. His fingernails were bloodied. It looked as if he'd just spent hours scrapping them against wood.

        Each rasping breath was followed by a phlegm-y noise. It was rather unpleasant to the ears. His skin was sickeningly pale. It looked as if his body were perpetually frozen in a lopsided manner. On top of that, his clothes were tattered and torn.

        The worst part was the bulging, gaping wound on his head. It looked like he'd been pounding it into a wall. A tree. Something.

        "It's...it's in my  head..." The Crank rasped at Ivol and Elijah. He looked up at them, mouth hung open. This time his words came out in a twisted snarl. "It's in my head. Crawling. Eating. Eating me  _alive_."

        The Crank threw his head back and laughed. He took a daring step closer to the two. His eyes darted between them. He seemed to recognize the sickness in Elijah as his eyes centered on Ivol. Healthy.

        "Gimmie your head! Let me in!"

        The Crank stumbled forward, arms outstretched, reaching as if to snatch away Ivol's head. His noise caused rustling from other homes in the village. His words alerted and awakened the others.

        "What...?" Ivol muttered, still stunned. She didn't move as the Crank came toward them. She wasn't sure whether she was stunned in awe or terror. She didn't register his words. Her heart began to beat faster as she heard the movement around them. There were more of them. They were waking from their slumber and coming to destroy the intruders. This was a mistake. Coming here had been a mistake.

        Elijah didn't react until he was forced to. It seemed Ivol was in shock and wasn't going to do anything to defend herself against the Crank that came closer, and closer. Elijah didn't think about what he was going to do, not that it mattered. He could be bitten and it wouldn't matter. He was already turning. All that mattered was that Ivol wasn't going to be infected.

        All that the young man had on him was a small make-shift blade made by Ivol that had been given to him before they came here. It was a sharp rock tied to a stick to be rather blunt. He had hoped he wouldn't have to use it, but at this point there was no other choice.

        Rushing forward with the blade, he lashed it out towards the Crank. The abomination reacted, grabbing the man's wrist as if to toss it away and stop him from completing the stab to the neck. In return, Elijah lashed out with his fist, interlocking with the gritty and disgusting skin of the creature. It staggered, giving Elijah the chance to free his wrist before slamming the blade into the left eye of the monster.

        Pulling the blade out of the body of the once-man, he spun to face Ivol. "We need to get out of here,  _now_!" There were already more making their way towards the two. He needed to hurry and snap Ivol out of her daze if they planned on getting out of here.

        The blade making contact with the eye and the subsequent gurgling noises of the Crank along with Elijah's voice is what snapped Ivol from her daze. She realized they were in danger and that it was her fault.

        "E-Elijah..." She stuttered, grasping for her knife. The only problem with both of them having knives was they were close-combat weapons.  Ivol didn't want to be anywhere near those nightmarish creatures. 

        More poured from the buildings. Ivol observed a few that looked less sick than others. They watched with pointed curiosity. Some even looked fearful of the intruders. Others looked in a similar state to the man who now writhed on the ground, holding his eye wound. They were less hesitant to begin coming closer to their--Ivol shuddered to think this way-- _prey_.

         _We need to get out of here._

        Between the two, Ivol knew this place better. She'd been living near it for the past months, after all. Though, with her track record so far, she could understand if Elijah was less than trusting of letting her take the lead again.

        She gestured for Elijah to follow and took off down an alley to her right. She heard the creatures screech and scream at her swift movement. Apparently, fast movements were a way to set them off. Ivol didn't care as long as Elijah was behind her. There were no fences in this place. There was nothing to put between them and the Cranks. Ivol headed for the forest edge, toward the more mountainous regions and the stream.

        Following her down the alleyway, he noticed there was nothing they could use to protect themselves or hide themselves from the Cranks. Elijah never thought he would ever have to escape from Cranks again, not after him becoming infected and wanting to go off and die. Fate liked pissing him off and was going to use him as his plaything. Well, he was going to play fate's game.

        Elijah skidded to a stop, "Ivol!" He hoped that he would catch her attention and cause her to stop, or at least look back at him. "You go on ahead! Make your way back down toward the river." His heart was racing. "I'll meet up with you!"

        It was suicide, or at least a feeble attempt at a death that would mean something. He didn't want to fall to the hands of these mongrels, though he would ensure Ivol's safety and put himself at risk. If the Cranks focused on him and Ivol was able to escape or at least put a good distance between herself and the danger, that was enough for him.

        Ivol opened her mouth to likely refuse or protest. He cut her off quickly, "That's an order, Ivol. Go. Now."

        His order stung. She stopped and hesitated, looking into his eyes. There was terror in his eyes, but he knew it wasn't from the Cranks.  Her terror was the terror of losing him again. And that was a terror he couldn't help.

        "I..." She took a few steps toward him, then stopped. Ivol gritted her teeth, "Elijah...you better be right behind me soon. Or I'll come back for you. Don't you go dying on me yet. Meet me near the ridge. Near the stream."

        With that, Ivol turned away and ran, leaving Elijah alone to handle the Cranks.

        He had to admit to being very surprised when she agreed to let him stay behind and for her to run ahead. It didn't seem like her, but he was grateful. He needed to do this, and he needed her to believe he was going to make it out of this thing alive. With that being said, he most likely wouldn't. There were seven Cranks charging at him, a few of them holding weapons. All he had were his dwindling wits and a small knife to get him through.  He was  going to prolong the Cranks from getting to Ivol as long as possible. No matter what the cost was.

        Two of them got at him first, one with a broken piece of glass, and the other with nothing rushing at him hands out, as if going for Elijah's neck. The man narrowed his eyes, ducking out of the grasp of the unarmed Crank and slicing his knife through the abdomen of the creature. He heard a yowl from the thing as it staggered. It wasn't dead, but it was wounded enough to give Elijah time to focus his attacks elsewhere on more pressing issues.

        The Crank with the glass tried to drive it into him and almost hit his lower chest. Kicking out with his foot, he hit the reflex on the back of the Crank's knee, bringing it tumbling down. Elijah slammed his foot into the skull of the creature. A sickening  _crack_  resounded, but he was unsure whether the Crank was dead or not. Elijah drove his knife down into the head of the Crank and took the chance to snatch up the glass shard.

        Getting back up, Elijah flung the glass at the next Crank quickly approaching. The creature halted as the material dug through it's collarbone area. Elijah sliced through the neck of the Crank, splattering pus and blood alike, sending the creature to the ground. Dead.

        This meant four uninjured Cranks remained. They paused at the sight of their wounded and deceased, but nonetheless continued to move forward. Elijah charged at the next Crank, slamming the creature to the ground with his shoulder. It landed with a thud and gave him time to focus on the next Crank, to which he stabbed directly in the chest, causing it to recoil and writhe on the ground.

        What he didn't notice was that another of the remaining Cranks had also been lunging towards him. It held a small, bloodied knife. Elijah managed to dodge the hit, which was directed at his lungs, however the knife did manage to slice across the side of his chest. He shouted in pain. Elijah gripped onto the hand of the Crank, hauling it forward, pushing the knife further into his skin, but managing to take the time to stab the creature in this face. And eventually slicing its neck.    

        Elijah slowly pulled the small, rusted weapon out of his side and realized the final Crank had vanished. Confused, Elijah narrowed his eyes, figuring the abomination had retreated. He then turned his attention to the downed Crank and the wounded one from before. The wounded Crank had regained some balance and was now at him again, shouting insanity.

        He moved out of the way, and gripping the neck and back of the head of the Crank, slamming it into the wall of the alleyway, crushing one side of it's skull and causing it to collapse to the ground.  
  
        Then it was just one. Turning his glaze down at the Crank who was struggling to get back up, he simply brought down the small rusty knife, which had pierced his own side, into the bridge of the nose of the Crank, causing it to shriek, convulse once, and then go numb.

        Panting heavily after the defeat of the Cranks, Elijah  turned his attention to the wound he had received. It was bleeding at a steady rate and, while that was better than gushing out, he knew that he would be impaired until it healed fully. He would have to watch what he did and how much energy he used. He didn't need to god damn bleed out. Not when there were other, quicker ways to die.

        Elijah decided to hold a hand at the wound. It hurt. God, it hurt. But the adrenaline from the fight was coursing through him, enough for him to move quick enough in the direction in which Ivol fled. He was still slower than he would have liked. The heat, plus The Flare, and now an open wound didn't really spell a marathon runner.

        Making his way down towards the river, as planned, his gut started to turn. Something didn't feel right. Something gave him the twisted feeling of: 'there's something wrong happening on ahead.' That made him break into a small sprint, though it was difficult given the uphill terrain. Still, he managed to push himself a bit faster until everything within him felt like it was burning. He was getting close enough...close enough to see what was happening up ahead.

        Ivol was at the ridge. It'd been a good uphill run in the intense heat. Her head was spinning. The running water below beckoned her. She wondered what it'd be like to jump in and let the water rush her away. At least it'd beat sweating out in the heat. Dehydration was quite a way to go.

        She reached into her pack for water. Her stomach was twisting and turning as she forced the drink down. Ivol didn't know how she could think of drinking water while Elijah was fighting thing...things. She hardly was able to leave him behind. Her eyes closed and she took in a deep breath.  _Come on, Elijah...Hurry back to me, please._

A rustling in the bushes made her eyes open. Ivol looked over her shoulder.

        "Elijah?"

        It wasn't Elijah. To her absolute horror, one of the infected came stumbling out. Ivol's eyes widened and she took a step back. If that thing was here, then what happened to Elijah?

        Her heart pounded against her chest.  _Elijah...oh no...oh no..._

Ivol took out her knife and held it out at the creature. "Stay back," She snarled. "Stay back, or I drive this thing through your skull."

        The Crank looked at her with an odd look. Ivol couldn't even begin to discern what the thing was thinking. Then it smiled.

        Then it came at her.

        Ivol swung out, gashing the thing in the face and sending it back. She pushed forward and lashed again at the creature, stabbing at it violently with her knife. She wasn't going to die here. And some insane human-creature thing wasn't going to kill her.

        "Ivol!" 

        Ivol hesitated. She turned her head, surprised and relieved all at once to see Elijah coming toward them. "Elijah!"

        This gave the Crank the opening it needed. It grabbed her with a ferocious snarl and bit down on her collarbone. Pain seared through Ivol and she let out a cry. Her knife jabbed forward in response, nailing the creature in the face. It was enough to make it let her go. Ivol sank down to her knees and grabbed her wound. Blood seeped through her fingers.

         _D-dammit...it bit me._

        "Get away from her, you bastard!" Elijah tried to lunge forward, but was weakened from the blow, causing him to stagger on his feet and almost fall down. Once his balance was regained, he lashed out with a brutality that was unmatched by anything from his fight before. Elijah slammed his weight into the Crank.

        Something snapped under his weight and he wasn't sure if it was one of his bones or one from the Crank. But Elijah was in too much of a panic to really care either way.

        "Elijah," Ivol yelled, trying to get his attention. "Elijah, the stream! Push it into the stream!"

        Elijah didn't realize what was going on. Everything was like a daze. Like he couldn't think straight or do  anything other than cling onto the abomination of a Crank. He didn't notice that Ivol was bitten until the Crank shook him off and he momentarily glanced in her direction. At first, he thought he was seeing something. It wasn't real. But that only lasted for a moment before the dread of reality set in.

        "You son of a bitch!" Elijah roared as he tackled into the Crank again. The once-human ripped at his flesh with its fingernails, but Elijah felt no pain. He didn't notice it at all. All he felt was the blood rage that was pouring through his system, making him feel like he was capable of ripping any person he met to shreds. This quick escalation of anger was not new to for him, but he had never felt it feel so much like fire in his veins.

        He didn't even know if the creature did anything to him. His whole body was both an inferno and frozen numb. He didn't notice until it was too late that he had flung himself and the Crank off the edge of the ridge and into the river.

        All he could remember  was a rage unmatched by anything he had ever felt in his life, then a sudden burst of water against his face.

        Then, blackness.

        While Ivol's plan was to jump in the stream to safety, it hadn't involved tackling the Crank and possibly causing more harm than good.         

        "Elijah!" Her heart all but jumped into her gut as the two tumbled down. Ivol scrambled to her feet and ran toward the edge. "Elijah? Elijah!" She screamed, trying to find him in the watery depths. Still he did not resurface. At this rate, the stream would take him away.

        A split second decision, Ivol jumped into the stream. She felt the current take her immediately as she struggled to resurface. She broke through and gasped for air. "Elijah!"

        Ivol began to swim and search for him as best she could. She searched and searched and searched...pushing her physical limit till pure exhaustion caused her to be unable to fight the current any longer. It took her.

        And still there was no Elijah to be found.


	4. Hi, I'm Marty

     If there was ever a time that called for a good swig of booze, this was it. That was one thing that Marty missed the most from the world before the sun flares: The fact a guy could no longer have fun and part with his friends or hang out and be lost in the moment. Nowadays, reality seemed to drag you into the moment, but far from willingly. 

        Surprisingly, the man had never stopped in a settlement. He had once had a small group of friends, however the four fell out of existence in one way or another. Dehydration. Bandits. It seemed like death had a list and he and his group were on it.

        Though one might consider themseles lucky for lasting so long, especially alone, Marty did not. He did not take pleasure in being alive, not that he ever showed it. Or had anyone to show it to anymore. He began to wonder if there was a point in sticking around. Still, he couldn't bring himself to off himself. What a horrible way to die. Plus, what if the world got fixed? Even a little. And he was dead. That would be irony in itself.

        Time was foreign to him. He didn't know exactly how long he'd been on his own. Marty would guess a month or two. In that time frame, he wandered around looting bodies and taking whatever he could find to survive. He had decided the mountains were a good place to explore due to rumors of illness spreading. That meant bodies and homes to loot.

        He was making his way to the base of a mountain where a river came sprawling out. Marty had no intention to stop. He had a walking stick and a good amount of rest on his side. He was fit enough to make his way to one of the settlements nearby. That was until something caught his eye.

         There was a body lying at the edge of the stream.

        Raising a brow, the man moved toward the body. From what he could tell it was a woman, younger than himself. If he had to guess, she was only in her early 20s. She had dark brown hair cut short. Tattered and worn clothes damp from the river.  She laid face down.

        "Hello...? Are you...uhm...are you okay?" 

        When there was no immediate response, he came to the conclusion that she must be dead. Still, to make sure, he began to jab her with the end of his walking stick.

        Big mistake.

        The woman gasped and sat up. Her eyes were a brilliant blue color. They were wide with terror, which quickly boiled over into aggression. She grabbed his walking stick and tugged him forward with, he had to admit, amazing strength.  In her other hand he saw something flash. A knife.

        "Get back," She screamed, lashing out at him. "Get away from me!"

        Marty barely had time to react. He managed to jump back, however he threw off his balance in the process and fell down on his rear. He glared up at the woman. His heart beat faster and his breath quickened.

        "Where the fuck am I?" She demanded, forcing the knife in his face. "Where am I? Where's Elijah?"

        "Please, don't hurt me. I  swear I didn't do anything. I was just walking by, and..." He stopped when he managed to get a better look at the woman who turned from dead to alive in a matter of seconds. His eyes widened when he saw the wound on her neck. He knew it had to be from one of those deranged humans, the ones apparently causing havoc all over the place. It was too big of a wound to be that of an animal. And so, he likely concluded it was a human bite. Either that, or it was one hell of a hickey. "You're uh...you're bitten."

        This startled her. She stepped back and took the collar of her shirt, trying to hide the bite. "No, I'm not. I'm fine."

        He raised his hands up in defense and submission.  "Look, I'll just go. I'll leave you alone. Please don't come after me. I have a lot to live for, ya know. Lots of ...uh-lots of things left to do on my bucket list." He wasn't sure if she was sane or not, but he hoped that she saw some reason in what he was saying. Hoped that she'd let him go. Pausing for a second, his face flustered. "I...I don't have much, but take it. Take it all. Just let me go." There had been a time when Marty King was a confident, happy man. But that seemed like a lifetime ago.

        "Look..." The woman muttered. "Can you just shut the fuck up? I'm sorry. I'm kinda having a bad day. I'm not going to hurt you." She closed the knife and put it away with a sigh. "I'm Ivol. Sorry." 

        She knelt down and offered him a hand. "And you are?"

        "N-nice to meet you, Ivol." Though, by the quiver in his voice it was obvious that he was still expecting a blow to the neck by her part. He wasn't letting his guard down, but he would try to calm down. Which, given the situation, wasn't as easy as one would think.

        Gulping a bit, the blonde refused to make eye contact with her. He felt doing so would provoke her further. He didn't want that. He wanted to get out of this alive and with all limbs in tact. "I'm Marty." He thought, though with his tone it sounded like he was doubting like that was even true. He was quite the unconfident mess at the moment, but that wasn't his concern. He didn't care what Ivol thought of him. 

        He thought about something she said when she woke up.  _Where's Elijah._ She must have been traveling with someone before she somehow ended up half-dead at the stream.

        "I-I don't know what happened to your friend, okay. I do know that you're at the bottom of one of the mountains. You...I guess, washed up from the stream." There was a twitch of uncertainty in his voice. "I...I thought you were dead. You looked it before, y'know, you decided to give me a heart attack."

        Something he said made her face scrunch. She took her offered hand (which he was way too nervous to touch) away from him and used it to run her fingers through her hair.  Her eyes closed and she grit her teeth. The frustration was all but seeping off her in mounds that Marty didn't want to get involved in.

        "Marty, was it?" She inquired, looking at him and moving her hands to her hips. "Will you just get up and quit whimpering? I'm trying to think and I can't think with you talking about death and heart attacks."

        Marty wasn't about to argue with her, and so he shut up the moment she told him to and slowly got to his feet. It felt like the woman, Ivol, was in some kind of daze. He didn't know what her deal was and didn't want to know. He just wanted to get out of here.  _Is that so much to ask?_

Yet something compelled him to stay where he was. It was probably fear, but there was some curiosity mixed in with it as well. He was curious to find out more about her. What she was doing and what had happened to her. Why was she bitten and why had she washed up out of the stream. 

        The moments that followed were filled with awkwardness and silence. It was obvious that Marty was standing still, completely tense and unconfident. He was even visibly shaking slightly, though that was exclusive only to his hands and legs. He didn't say anything. He would continue to be quiet until she decided to address him again. He didn't want to say anything that might upset her. He could tell that she was stressed and she'd already proven being on her bad side wasn't a great idea. Still, the silence was beginning to eat away at him...

        After a few more moments, Marty wasn't able to contain it anymore. He looked at her with a meek smile, as if trying to conceal his worry and fear. "I...I might be able to help you, if you need some help?" He offered, though he wasn't sure  _why_  he was offering a possibly insane person help. He didn't even  _know_  this girl. The problem was the offer already left his mouth and he wasn't going to go back on his word. "I...know this area? I've been staying here for a while now. I heard that something happened to the settlements and thought to check it out. But...if you need my help...?" 

        The offer caused Ivol to perk up. "Really? You know the area?"

        Suddenly, it was like Marty was the most interesting thing in the world to her. She crossed her arms with a smile, head slightly tilting. "So, if you know the area, then I'd be grateful for your help. Estatic, even. Y'see, my friend is...injured." Her expression suddenly fell. "We were attacked by infected people in the settlement. The ones in the mountains? They're dwindling. I doubt there may be any of them left." Ivol frowned. "I think everyone is getting attacked by these rouge bergs. Then the sickness appeared after..."

        She looked at him with a flash of realization and horror. Marty had no idea why until she spoke again. 

        "People are infecting settlements from the bergs. This is biological warfare."

        Marty wasn't quite sure he believed that or not, though something in his gut twisted when she said it. It felt like she was telling the truth. That people from bergs were the cause of the illness. But why would the PFC infect people? As far as he knew, they were the only ones flying bergs around. It didn't make any sense.  He shook his head.  _I'm not going to dwell on this. The world is crazy. I shouldn't even be surprised if there's some war going on. Biological or not._

        "I know the area," He repeated, trying to get the topic back on track. "But..." He wasn't sure how to phrase this exactly or how to be understanding about it. "I have to ask...how recent is that bite? Was it when you and your friend were attacked?" He didn't want to risk infection himself. He had heard about the crazies around here. "As much as I want to help you, I don't want to die in the process. You know? Because, I do have something to live for, whether you believe it or not."

        People never tended to believe that he had something to live for and that he wasn't just trying to come up with an excuse not to get murdered. For all his wealth and influence prior to the apocalypse, that muster seemed to die with most of the population. Now he was nothing more than a coward and a looter who hoped to get through the day.

        "Doesn't  _everyone_  have something to live for?" Ivol countered. She eyed Marty. "It's a basic principle of human nature. If not living for someone, then for  _something_. Even living just for the sake of not  _dying_. No human truly wants to die. That's why people who kill themselves cry for help first."

        She pulled the shirt collar stubbornly over her bite once more. "It's recent," She relented. "I just got bit when we were being attacked. You're right. So far, I'm feeling fine. Don't worry about me going crazy or anything. As long as I don't bleed on you, I think you should be fine."

        "Then I guess there's no harm in helping you out." As long as he didn't have to worry aboutdying, then he would try and help this woman find her friend. He was no knight in shining armor, but Marty had been taught to help a damsel in distress nonetheless. Even in the middle of the god damn apocalypse. 

        Ivol rolled her eyes at him. "So, where do you think is a good place to go, then? Perhaps you know somewhere higher? We could check out the area. Or where is a good place to meet up with people? If you were lost and needed to find someone, where would you go, Marty?"

        "Well...I can't really say there is anywhere close to here that would be a good 'meeting' spot for anyone. Though, there are two options. One, we could continue to go downstream, or upstream. Try and see if there are any clues which might indicate where your friend might have gone. Likewise, if you go up the side of the mountain, there's a small peak. Probably a mile or so away. It will give you a better scan of the area. If either doesn't work...the other will still be an option afterwards. But if your friend is awake, or was found by someone else, we might not have time to check both with the possibility of results." He shrugged after his rambling. "It's your choice."

        Ivol grimaced at Marty. She really hoped that he was worth the hassle in the end. With a bunch of infected, crazy monsters running around, there was bound  to be some benefit in traveling with a partner. She only hoped Elijah made it safely on his own or that he found some allies till they met up again.

        "Downstream, I think," Ivol stated. "He went into the water before I did. I didn't see him as I was taken downstream myself. He had to go further downstream than I did, right? So let's go that way."

        Time was of the essence. Also, the mountains were where all the infected hung out. She shuddered at the thought of meeting them again. Hopefully they stayed around their settlements.

        "Let's go!" Ivol said. She began to head downstream. "We have a lot of ground to cover, Marty."

        Downstream was just a shot in the dark and they both knew that. Even if her friend dived in first, it was quite possible that he washed up onto the shore before her. But Marty wasn't going to argue with her decision. He said it was her choice where they were going and she'd decided. Now it was up to him to help her out.  Despite being bitten, this woman - Ivol, seemed to be more concerned with the safety of her friend. It was a weird thing for Marty. How could someone care about another person so dearly that they would be willing to put their own safety behind that of the other person? It was a mystery that both puzzled and intrigued the man.

            "Can you describe him? Your friend?" Marty asked as he was forced to jog up slightly to walk next to her. "Just so I can keep an eye out for what I am looking for." Sure there weren't a lot of people in the area, and those who had been here had fled when the illness broke out from the local settlements. But Marty wanted to make sure he had someone to keep an eye out for, and wouldn't just be looking for anyone. "You said his name was Elijah, right?" He wouldn't lie, he was a bit curious about this other man. He must be a respectable person if Ivol was willing to search for him while she bore a bite mark.

        The blonde was already looking around, keeping an eye out for any kind of signs that pointed to the possibility of a person ever being here. Though there was no realistic chance that her friend was in this area. But it couldn't help to be cautious and keep an eye out for anything.  
  
        Even though he didn't typically get involved in other people's affairs, now that he was helping Ivol out, he was going to make sure that he did a damn good job at it.

        "Taller than me. Dark hair. Brown eyes," Ivol replied. "His hair is pretty short, but not a buzz cut or anything. It's about like yours in length, I guess. And he probably looks really rough. We've had a hard couple of days and I doubt they're getting any better. And yeah, his name is Elijah. Elijah Holloway. Maybe we can ask around if we run into anyone."

        Especially since Elijah was sick. This sent a shiver down Ivol's spine.  _What if I don't make it in time? What if he goes crazy without me?_ She closed her eyes and forced the thoughts away.  _No. I'll find him. I won't stop looking._

Marty was trying to form some kind of mental picture of what the man might look like. He wasn't convinced they were going to find him alive, but then again, he didn't think that his new traveling companion was completely convinced of it, either. No one who had experienced the things of this world would expect someone to survive out here on their own, especially injured. Marty decided he wasn't going to pass these concerns onto Ivol. He agreed to help and he was not going to nag about the unlikelihood of finding this Elijah guy alive.

        Despite what some might have said or thought of him before the Flares, Marty was not a cruel man. He looked out for people, regardless of their opinion of him. He flinched when he thought about the last few months leading up to the world being scorched by the sun. They hadn't been good for him.

        "So, what exactly were you and your friend doing?" Marty asked, striking up a conversation. "Was there a destination that either of you were heading towards?" He wasn't sure if there was, but didn't feel there was any harm in asking. "I mean, in the long run. It's possible that he could be trying to go to a general area if we don't manage to find him along the streamline." There weren't a lot of places out here. At least, not well-known ones. Asheville was a few days away. Marty wanted to see if they had another option if going down the stream didn't work.

        "I mean, there had to be  _somewhere_  that you two were going?" He pressed. "Or maybe somewhere that he might be drawn to? I really can't help you in analyzing your friend's thoughts or motives." He hesitated to add, "But if we don't find him here, I can probably get us to other larger locations."

        Ivol gave Marty a tight smile. "Where we were going is a good question. We were running, is what we were doing. The settlement that I lived near was attacked. So we ran. And when we returned to see what happened, well, we got attacked by the settlers.  So we never really had a chance to figure out our true destination."

        She sighed and rubbed her collarbone. Ivol didn't want to disclose the full truth to Marty. She didn't know how he would react to it. But she felt like she had to. It was what was best for finding Elijah.

        "To be completely honest, I'm not sure we had a destination. Elijah is...well, he's infected. He's been infected longer than I have...I guess, if I'm infected. " She still wasn't showing any symptoms, though she had no idea what the incubation period for the disease was. A small part of her hoped that she was lucky and still healthy. Another part of her was willing to get sick and die with Elijah.  "I guess Elijah and I were just going to run off and find a place to..." She couldn't even finish the sentence. It disturbed her too much thinking about it.

        Marty was quiet for a moment. Should he really be surprised that her friend was also infected? He didn't see how finding him could be such an important thing on her mind now. Had he been in her situation, Marty would have removed himself from his friend as soon as possible. It was best not to watch someone you cared about slowly lose everything that you loved about them.

        He wasn't sure how he could tactfully respond to her and her situation. For a second, it seemed that not saying anything would probably be the best option. He knew he could sometimes offend people and he didn't want to push his luck with Ivol.

        "Well," He started, not quite sure where he was going with this. "He must be one hell of a guy, I guess." It was all he could think to say. There weren't too many decent people in the world anymore. Marty would know, he was just as damned as the rest of them.  But he respected Ivol's loyalty to her friend. God knows that he could have used some with his previous traveling companions.

        Something about what he said made her laugh. It wasn't laughter of amusment, but bitterness. Hopeless. Helpless. And with enough resentment to shatter the remainder of the sun that hung tauntingly in the sky, glowing a dim red.

        "We survived the sun flares together," Ivol said. "It wouldn't matter to me if he was the worst man left on this planet. I'd find him. I'd find him...or I'll at least find his body."

        Marty narrowed his eyes slightly. "If he's sick and possibly injured, I wouldn't have my hopes too high if I were you." 

        Ivol looked to the sky. Light was dimming away fast. She grimaced. They would need to stop and rest eventually. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Ivol felt the aches and pains of her "adventure" in the water. If she pushed too hard, she'd fall apart.

        She sighed and glanced back at Marty, deciding to steer the topic to his prior comment. "He's...essentially, I suppose he's a heck of a guy to me. But, in reality, he's also just a guy. And he's kind of a prick...but he's  _my_  prick." She smiled fondly. "I hope you will meet him while he's still...sane. He's been dealing with me for so long, who knows if he even knows how to talk to another guy?"

        A poor attempt at a joke. But there it was.

        Marty raised a brow at her attempt at a joke. Her methods could definitely use some work, but Marty figured that if the apocalypse did anything, it wiped out everything that once brought joy and laughter, comedy included. So he didn't fault her for not having the most witty or entertaining jokes.

        "I'm sure he can. I mean, I'm not that hard to get along with. I suppose." It was true. Before the apocalypse, Marty was a very easygoing and friendly guy. Now that had dimmed a bit and he showed a more devious and cowardice side. He still considered himself someone that would get along with someone else if he had to. It was just in his blood. "I hope you're right, though. I don't want to help you track down this guy only to find out he's some kind of psychopath."

        He would have to take Ivol's word that Elijah was a good guy. If she was lying, and she might be, then he might be screwed for helping someone. "Did you know him before the Flares? Or did you find him afterward?" It was an absent question. Marty had other things on his mind, but still desired to keep up a relatively friendly conversation.

        "I met him right after the flares hit. I was in the metro and we found each other there." Flashbacks to the metro. The way the train stopped and left them all there in the dark. He'd been in the same cart, she recalled, but they sat at opposite ends and didn't speak. She was the last one to slip from the cart and run the opposite direction of the others. She later was cornered by men with less-than-honorable intentions and he appeared again. Helped her. "So pretty much, I've been with him since the beginning of all this shit."

        The two were quiet after that. They walked another mile down the stream as Ivol continued watching the sky, grimacing at the sun. Her throat was dry. She was parched. Her body screamed for water and stomach cried for food. Most of all, her mind begged for the numbness of sleep.

        "Marty..." Ivol said, voice hoarse. She stopped and leaned against a tree. "I have to stop. I can't walk anymore." She sank down to the ground in a sitting position, looking up at him. "Do you have food?"

        "I...I don't have any food. I ran out of my rations not too long ago. That was why I was heading out of this place. Heard that some of the settlements had been abandoned. I guess that's not entirely true with this...illness." Marty was glad that she proved the settlements were not safe before he'd arrived at them. Still, this made the problem that they couldn't go there for anything to eat.

        "Man," Ivol groaned. "Well, it's a  good thing we met, then. If you had gone to the settlements..." She was echoing his own thoughts. Ivol laughed bitterly, "They would have come after you, too."

        Marty took time to have a closer look at Ivol. She really didn't look healthy. Though, it didn't seem like an 'illness'. It was more like she was being pushed to the point of exhaustion. 

        "I might be able to see if I can find something close-by. Do you think you could get a fire together while I go off and try to find something? Night will be here soon, and we could use it." 

        In a way, she was grateful for Marty at this moment. Her exhaustion brought her to the brink and if she were alone...there was no telling if she'd ever wake up from the sleep she desperately wanted. Even if he didn't have food, the fact he was kind enough to offer to find some almost made her smile. Almost.

        "I can build a fire. It'll be burning for you when you get back."

        Ivol nodded him off, then turned to make her way to the stream. She was going to first clean up a bit and get some water, then focus on making the fire. Ivol dipped her hands into the stream and splashed it into her face. She splashed it onto her bite (which she swore looked red and infected) in hopes of cleaning it. Afterward, she had some long gulps of the water. Whether it was clean or not, she didn't care. She was dying of thirst.

        After satisfying her thirst, Ivol returned to the tree and began pulling together things for a fire. Luckily, she knew how to use sticks to make a fire and the dryness of the area was going to work in her favor. Unluckily, she'd have to be more resourceful now that her supplies were somewhere down the river. She worked with what she had, kindling the fire until she succeeded in making a small flame. She encouraged the flame to grow, gently blowing on it until it spread.

        Once the fire was burning hot, Ivol yawned. Her eyes drooped. She moved under the tree and curled into a ball, closing her eyes.

         _I'll just...sleep...for a while...till he comes back..._


	5. From the Depths

  It was...an oddity to find someone in the woods.

        At first, Yin Izumi thought the man was dead, a product of a settlement attacked and demolished like their own. It wouldn't surprise her that bodies were dumped into the stream. Nothing surprised her anymore. It was only upon further inspection that she was surprised to see he was breathing. The guy was alive. This made finding him all the more complex. 

        Her younger sister by 3 years stood at her side. Kuro had her arms crossed and a frown tugged at her lips. Yin could see the crease in her forehead and the concerned light in her eyes. Her sister had always been the more compassionate of the two. That was why, before all this, Kuro was studying to be a nurse. 

        "What do we do?" Kuro asked. 

        "I don't know," Yin shrugged. She leaned over the man. He looked to be older than the both of them. Late 20s. He also looked sick, which made Yin wrinkle her nose. "But if he's as crazy as the others, then maybe we should leave him here."

        Yin could see that didn't settle well with Kuro. Her sister's frown got deeper and her expression twisted to a scowl. Yin rose a brow at her and crossed her arms. 

        "Don't give me that face, Kuro. We can't take in any stray that happens to wash up. We have a child with us."

        "We can't leave him, Yin," Kuro snapped back. "We have plenty of food. We can at least wait until he wakes up and feed him."

        "And if he's totally gone when he wakes up? I think he's infected, Kuro."

        "And so are we."

        Yin scoffed and kicked at the ground. She didn't want to think about it, but knew damn well the disease that killed off their settlement and drove others mad was slowly eating them away. The only one not affected by it had been Kuro's daughter, Hazuki.

         Despite being struck by a dart in the attack, Hazuki was the picture-perfect example of health. If it wasn't for her niece, Yin saw no issue in letting this man into their small flock. They were all going insane anyways. But Hazuki was dear and near to Yin's heart, and she had a resistance to the disease. Perhaps even an immunity.

        "I don't want another mouth to feed," Yin grumbled. "Especially not a mouth that may end up  trying to rip our skin off. I know you want to help, but we have a priority that we agreed on, Kuro."

        Kuro's face softened. She looked back toward her daughter, who curiously looked on at the two and the man. They hadn't let the young girl  near just in case of danger. Yin was right in saying they didn't know the mental state of this man. He could wake up and attack at any moment. Yet Kuro felt it was wrong to leave him. She wouldn't let this disease and situation eat away at her morals.

        "We're staying," Kuro said decisively. She threw her sister a look before turning and walking back to her daughter. "We'll start a fire and wait for him to wake up. Come on, Hazuki. Help momma pick up some sticks, huh?"

        Yin's lips curled up into a snarl. She glared down at the man wanting nothing more than to kick him in the head. She knew if he woke and caused trouble that she wouldn't hold back. Her hands had killed more than the average human being and she wasn't afraid to kill again.

        The sun was setting now. The three sat around the fire with Yin casting glances every now and then to the man. He was pretty badly injured. Yin wondered if he would even make it through the night. If he didn't, then at least it'd be one less mouth to feed.        

        Hours passed before the man at the stream stirred. Yin looked over in disregard. He barely moved, as if life barely existed in him. It was Kuro who reacted the most, scooting closer to the man as he whispered something that escaped Yin's hearing. 

        "Kuro," Yin snarled. "Don't get too close."

        "I know what I'm doing," Kuro quipped back, throwing her a look.

        The man struggled and failed to move away from them, falling straight back down as he tried to lift himself up.

        "Who are you? Where am I?" His tone sounded delirious and frightened.

        "It's okay," Kuro cooed. "Calm down. You're safe now. We have a fire going...You seem cold." She hesitated. "Let me help you get closer to the fire, okay? You're hurt."

        The man still looked wild and unsettled despite her attempts to soothe him. Kuro edged closer to him, moving slow and gentle. She made no sudden movements. Her sister gave a disapproving grunt, but Kuro ignored Yin. 

        "Hey...I'm Kuro," She said, hoping a name would soothe him and prove she was no danger. Kuro reached out a hand to him. "Can you tell me your name? Where are you from?"

        His chest heaved. There was a lingering suspicion in his eyes that she thought was well-placed. This world wasn't one where people should blindly trust. Not anymore. Yet she still held out hope he would open to her at least a little. At least enough for her to help.

        "My name...My name is Elijah. I was at a settlement until recently. I...went back to check out my friend, and she...we were separated. I...don't suppose you've seen another young lady going around?"

        "A girl...?" Kuro looked back at Yin, who shook her head. She frowned and looked back at the man. Elijah. "No, I'm sorry. We haven't seen your friend. If you're from a settlement, maybe she's still there? Or perhaps she'll expect you two to meet there?"

        Kuro made another move forward, working her arm around Elijah's shoulders to help him to his feet. He didn't reject her, and so she pulled him to his feet. There was no doubt in her mind that Elijah was not only physically injured, but was ill, too. He was just like the two of them. Infected.

        "Breathe, okay? You'll have to breathe. I can't save you if you go into shock."

        She helped Elijah over to the fire, much to the disapproving glare of Yin. Yin took Hazuki and pulled the young girl into her lap. Kuro gave her daughter a gentle smile. She could see the inquisitve curiosity of a 5-year-old shining in her child's eyes. 

        "Sit down...Warm up by the fire," Kuro said, lowering Elijah down next to the fire. "Maybe we can help you find your friend once you're warm? She really can't be far, right?"

        Elijah looked as if he were limp, unmoving, and just dead seeming. His head hung low as he sat at the fire, as if he didn't have enough energy and effort to help support his neck. His eyes turned to Yin, who stared at him with a pensive expression. He looked surprised to see a small child in her lap. "I don't believe...I don't think I caught your name?"

        "Yin," She replied shortly. She immediately turned her attention to Hazuki. "Maybe you should lay down and sleep? You look so tired. I mean, your eyes are turning  _red_." Yin smiled as the young girl frowned. She prompted Hazuki off her lap. "Don't worry. Your momma will join you once she's done tending to...Elijah?" Her gaze returned back to him.

         _And done wasting our supplies on some stray,_ Yin thought. She rolled her eyes as Kuro look out the alcohol and bandages from their packs. There was no use in getting angry about it. Kuro already made the decision for the both of them and Yin was forced to play along.

        Kuro knelt down beside Elijah and dabbed alcohol on a cotton cloth. "This might sting a bit, okay?" She began to lightly stroke at his wounds. "We don't need you getting an infection."

         _Even if he already has one. A fatal one._ Yin bit back her sarcasm. 

        Elijah allowed Kuro to press the cloth against his wounds. He felt it bubble against his skin, but didn't finch. It stung, yes, but after some of the pain he had felt it was nothing more than a tiny pinch.

        "I ... apologize if I'm stepping out of bounds by saying this. But, why are you guys here now?" He figured most would have heard the rumors of the settlements by now. Most people would avoid this place like a plague. Though, these three were here now regardless. "It really...it isn't wise." He coughed, though quickly moved his hand to his mouth to contain it.

        "It's not wise to be here, at least not recently." He finished his sentence. He wasn't looking at either of them now. Instead, he contented himself to looking at the ground. One of his hands clutched into a fist. He was tired, broken, beaten, and confused. Nothing seemed to be going his way.

        Kuro wasn't the one to give him an answer, but he could tell by her sudden frown that something crossed her mind. That something pertained to what he had said. Instead, it was the less friendly one, Yin, who spoke up as she laid the child, Hazuki, down to sleep.

        "We're from one of these settlements," She snorted. "We were there when it was attacked. In fact, we've been here for years."  She sighed and kissed the child's forehead. "Goodnight now, Hazuki. Close your eyes and sleep. Don't listen to the adult conversation, okay?"

        Yin moved away from who he presumed was her niece and closer to Kuro and himself. She lowered her voice. "Our settlement was attacked about a month or so ago. Hazuki was struck directly with a dart along with her father. Her father...passed away. Hazuki didn't. In fact, she's not showing any symptoms of the sickness. At all."

        The frown on Kuro's face deepened as Yin carried on. "We'd agreed not to tell anyone this, but considering you're probably going to be sticking around for at least a little while...you'd notice eventually. In fact, you seem clever."

        Elijah narrowed his eyes. It didn't make any sense. Everyone who was hit by the darts either died immediately or fell ill. Surely a little girl was no exception to this logic. But the girl appeared healthy, and so if this was true, then there might be hope for the infected. Or, this is what Elijah hoped, for both his and Ivol's sake.

        "She hasn't shown any signs of infection?" Elijah rolled Yin's words back at her. "That doesn't make any sense. I have not seen anyone resist whatever was in them...the illness, or something to trigger it, I suppose." His expression became thoughtful. This revelation was enough to keep his mind off Kuro, who was still attending his wounds. 

         _This girl could be a beacon...some kind of beacon of hope that humanity can escape this disease. But I shouldn't get my hopes too high._

        "Are you sure it's not just that there's a slower reaction in children?" He pushed. 

        "No."

        This time it was Kuro who spoke up. Her voice cracked, fringed with a deep hurt only a mother could feel.  She finished her tending and looked him in the eyes. He could see the pain swelling in them.

        "There were other children in the settlement. Some were struck by darts. They died instantly. The other children were some of the first to get sick and die. Children are highly susceptible to illness of any kind. This sickness is no different. The elder and young are quickest to die."

        She moved away from him and retreated to her sleeping daughter. 

        "My Hazuki is not infected," She said, stroking her hair. "She has a tolerance to the sickness. Yin and I left the settlement in order to keep her safe. We want to take her somewhere...somewhere where maybe they could find a cure."

        Yin was quick to chime in. "She's right. Hazuki is tolerant, if not completely  _immune_ , to this disease." She settled down opposite of the three, as if to keep an eye on all of them. "We're trying to find out if there are any save havens. We figured Asheville could be one. That'd be why they're starting to build a wall...or so rumor has it." _  
_

She looked over to Elijah. Venom coursed through her tone. "Did you know that? That Asheville has begun to barricade themselves away? People are _terrified_  of this sickness. They want to keep us out and let us stay here to rot." Yin wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest. "No one cares about us, but Hazuki is the light in the dark if they can find a cure."

        Elijah was still finding it hard to believe that the little girl was immune. However, Kuro's point was valid. It made sense that children would be infected first. Though, how could a little girl fight off a disease as strong as this one? One that was taking down swamps of people in a single swoop. It didn't make sense to him. He didn't understand it.

        It was curious they brought up the idea of a haven, and then Asheville. He had been up in the mountains too long to know what was happening outside of them. As much as his gut told him it was inhumane, he understood their need to bar people out. These people were just trying to survive and didn't care about those that died.

        "You think they could benefit from her?" He questioned, his face still solemn and without much emotion. He couldn't think of much outside of  the Crank biting through Ivol's neck. If Hazuki was immune, maybe a cure could be found in time to save her. It was a bit idealistic to think results would come fast enough to save himself. "That they might be able to find a cure for this?"

        It was a good question. It was one thing to seek a safe haven, but if they were willing to look into Hazuki's immunity to help others, then that was another thing altogether.

        Yin nodded. "We are trying to get information on someone who could help find a cure from her. That's why we think it may be worth checking out Asheville. They're a larger community, y'know? They know people. They may have connections we don't." She shrugged, "There's always the PFC, but I don't really like those guys. An independent scientists is preferable. They could draw blood and stuff...see what's going on with this girl. We could save everyone if a cure is formulated."

        There was enough conviction in her voice to almost make anyone believe. Though, he was conflicted. He could help these three, help ensure that the girl got into the hands of medical professionals, or he could go and try to find Ivol. But if he did the latter, they would both likely die. As much as he wanted to spend his final days with Ivol, he would rather keep her alive in the end. And if this girl could make sure that happened...

        "What makes you think that Asheville is going to want anything to do with us?" Elijah challenged. "Especially if they find out we're sick." 

        He didn't want to endanger other people, but going near Asheville may endanger himself as much as others. He pressed, "I mean, you said it yourself, they're keeping sick people out. I don't think any of us, save Hazuki, are healthy." He snorted and looked between the two women, unsure who he was truly addressing. He wanted to say he would help, that he would make sure Hazuki got somewhere safe, but the likelihood of that happening seemed meek at best.

        "We figured if we went to Asheville and managed to get someone to hear us, then they may take Hazuki into the walls," Kuro murmured. "Even if we are left outside to die. If Asheville doesn't take her, then we'll try another place. We'll have tot keep trying until they believe us that she  _isn't_  infected. And...I'd be very happy for your help, Elijah. We need to keep Hazuki safe."

        Elijah exhaled, rubbing the side of his face. "You know...I could...maybe help you guys. Even if Asheville doesn't work out. I would like to keep a look out for my companion, though. She...means a great deal to me." He just hoped she was alive and looking for him as well. "If it means other people have a chance of fighting this sickness off, I think I should try and help make that happen."

        Yin grunted and stretched with a loud yawn. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting sleepy." She eyed Elijah. "I don't mind you sticking around, but if you start going crazy we'll have to either leave you behind or get rid of you. At the same time, I think you should know that I expect you to do the same to either of us, should we get the same way. What do you say?"

        Kuro flinched. She curled closer to Hazuki as if terrified of the thought. "And we'll help you find your friend, too," She added on. "It's possible she'll head to Asheville, too. It's the main settlement in the area. It seems like a good meeting place, right?"

        They were still a long ways from Asheville. It was a couple of days at the most. But in their conditions, who knew how long it'd actually take? And what the dangers were? Elijah understood the urgency to make sure Hazuki was in the hands of someone that could use her immunity for a cure to The Flare. He knew he would help these women find someone that would listen, and someone that could help them beat this illness. This was a top priority, and it was the only chance any of the newly infected had...including Ivol.

        "I get the urgency," He said, still bent over and looking at the fire. Still refusing to look at either of them. He clutched one of his fists and huffed. "And I realize that any of us might need to be put down along the way. Let's just hope we can get the girl - Hazuki - to safety before anything like that needs to happen." He didn't want to leave a child alone, immune or otherwise.

        "Well, if we're going to get moving to Asheville or wherever, we're going to need some sleep..." That was it for the man. Right now all he wanted to do was sleep, to try and forget that the day had happened. To forget any of this had happened and to slip away into a world that was once again right, and not riddled with darkness and deceit. Though, perhaps, the world that had existed before had been just as messed up as this new world. However, the darkness there had been hidden. At least good had once existed in the old world. This new world there was merely existence, with undoubted damnation. 

        Elijah nodded to the two women before making his way away from the fire. Slightly. He was also getting away from the group as a whole. Just because he was going to work with them didn't mean he completely trusted them. 

        And sooner than later, Elijah was asleep, his mind drifting into the cosmic unknown of his own conscious mind...

        ...Or what was left of it.


End file.
